


keys and melodies

by FakePlant



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Hints of bad family relationships, M/M, Music, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Piano, college student bokuto, lots of brokuroo, musician akaashi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-23
Updated: 2016-01-17
Packaged: 2018-05-02 23:46:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5268410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FakePlant/pseuds/FakePlant
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Music is art that can only be heard.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I'm home

**Author's Note:**

> I started a new project!!! updates will be random, so i won't have a set schedule. i hope you enjoy reading!!

Music is different for everyone. For some people, it can sound like art, but for others it’s just noise. For some, it sounded like the waves at dawn, slowly moving and lapping at your ankles, surrounding you with a sense of wonder. To others, it’s just there. Nothing exciting or spectacular about it.

For Bokuto, music was a deep green forest, encompassing him in fireflies with ribbons of golden sun dancing around him. It left him with a sense of exhilaration that lingered on his lips and frolicked behind his eyelids. Music is art that could only be heard.

The sounds melodically flowed through the air, capturing a moment and slowing down time indefinitely; a pair of eyes slowly closed out of habit. Music flowed through his limbs, gliding down his arms, gracefully pooling out through his fingers with each tap of a key. The mesmerizing and mellifluent movements captivated a small audience around him.

Notes moved throughout the air like snow flurries during dawn, like cherry blossom petals on a windy day. Their calm yet exuberant melody left a taste on Bokuto’s mouth; one that tasted a little like caramel or warm chocolate. It uplifted him until he couldn’t think straight.

Eventually, the song came to a peaceful end. It allowed the pianist to relax his posture slightly and catch his breath.

Some people clapped, hushed voices chattering smoothly, and soon the cafe was back to its original atmosphere of light conversation and peaceful laughter. The smell of coffee drifted through the air and encircled all those around. The pianist began to play again, however it was a soft song suitable for the background.

“Yo. Bro. Hey, dude, you okay?” Snapping fingers appeared in front of Bokuto’s face, redirecting his attention back to Kuroo, his messy-haired friend.

“Yeah…. Yeah man, I’m good.”

“You don’t look too good, bro. You totally just spaced out for a good two minutes there. Were you even listening to my story?”

“I---Psht! I totally was!” Bokuto replied, his facial expression morphing into something pouty and childish. “You were talking about something Kenma said, right?”

“Uh, no. Close though.” Kuroo leaned back in his chair, draping an arm over the backrest. His cat-like eyes tilted up in amusement. “Were you staring at the pianist? Oh man, I didn’t think you were the type to like _classical._ ”

“What?! Oh my god Kuroo, I totally was not staring.” Bokuto adverted his eyes, his lips tightening in his pout. “And I don’t even like piano that much.”

That was a lie. He did happen to like piano, however he much preferred guitars and drums. Bokuto wasn’t about to let Kuroo know that, though. Kuroo’s eyes seemed to sharpen, as if he analyzed Bokuto’s every expression, and then he smiled almost too knowingly.

“Oh bro! You got a crush on that pianist, don’t you?! Ahaha, it’s written all over your face.” Kuroo laughed rather obnoxiously, and Bokuto started to sip his coffee in order to prevent himself from blurting out unnecessarily.

After taking a gulp of his too-sweet coffee, Bokuto replied with an “Absolutely not” and an unreadable expression on his face. Kuroo only meant it jokingly, but Bokuto understood the look in his friend’s eyes as something more than that.

“Oh c’mon, bro. I can see it in the way you were staring at him. Somebody’s got a cruuuuuush!” Kuroo smirked even more, and Bokuto’s face turned bright red in response. He leaned across their table to press the palm of his hand to Kuroo’s mouth.

“Dude! Shut up! What if someone hears you!?” He pulled away slowly, and as an afterthought, added: “And I do _not_ have a crush on someone I just met. We aren’t in middle school, bro. I just really liked his music, okay?”

“Alright, whatever bro.” Thankfully Kuroo dropped the subject and continued on with his story of Kenma, which Bokuto actually paid attention to this time.

However, even as he stood to leave, he couldn’t help but feel enigmatic dark eyes digging a hole into the back of his head.

\---

Bokuto completely forgot about the incident of the cafe. He forgot how the delicate sound of keys etched a permanent melody into his brain, he forgot how the harmonies transported his soul to somewhere far away. He forgot how it felt to have every cracked piece of himself filled with a rich string of notes that slowly ebbed its way into a heartfelt melody. But, most importantly, he forgot the way a certain little melody could transform into a vivid image deep in his subconscious; one that practically screamed _him, him, him!_

It wasn’t until he stepped into the cafe about a week later, Kuroo right behind him, that he felt the undeniable absence of a certain pianist. Instead, only a staticky melody played over the cafe’s radio; one that Bokuto has heard thousands of times before. A simple melody that has false heartfelt connections. A ditzy tune designed to stick into your brain, one that the radio stations seemed to play on repeat. Bokuto didn’t like it. He missed the gentle roll of fingers tapping keys and filling the cafe with a unique liveliness.

The two found a seat near the window. Kuroo gave Bokuto a look, one that was untranslatable to words but enough for Bokuto to understand. “Bro,” Kuroo began, “What’s got you looking so depressed?”

“Nah man, it’s nothing. I’m just upset they don’t have live music playing! Don’t you think this place is a lot more interesting when they have live music?” Bokuto hummed. He kept glancing around the room, hoping for the mysterious pianist to suddenly appear out of nowhere. The grand piano sat unused in the corner, and suddenly Bokuto felt his heart sink even lower at the thought of such a beautiful instrument sitting unused.

“Ohoho, so you really do miss that pianist of yours, huh?” Kuroo asked, a hand lazily holding up his chin. His unruly black hair stuck out in all directions and Bokuto stared at a tuft in order to avoid eye contact.

“Oh my god no. Bro, I’ve only seen him once. Once! I don’t even know his name. You’ve got no right to keep saying all this ‘crush’ stuff.” He huffed slightly and leaned back in his chair. “Plus, I never teased you about having a crush on anyone.”

“Not true. What about that one time when you kept teasing me about that one girl in middle school?”

“That was in middle school! Years ago!” Bokuto retorted, his lips curling into a frown. “Plus you totally deserved it.”

“You wound me so!” Kuroo held a hand to his chest over-dramatically. They continued to bicker back and forth, sunlight flitting through the windows like bright butterflies, and suddenly the familiar _ching_ of the bell on the door signaled a new arrival.

Bokuto looked towards the door, only to come face-to-face with beautiful dark eyes that remind him of forest leaves during dawn. They flickered over at him briefly before focusing somewhere else, and the man slowly made his way over to the grand piano.

The radio turned off. Bokuto’s eyes grew nearly to the point of bulging out, focusing their gaze on the back of the man’s head. It took a few moments for the man to get settled, greet an employee, and open up the piano keys. A single note tested the air, and Bokuto could feel his breath grow thin.

The tempo was slow, something Bokuto would expect of simple background music, but it was invigorating nonetheless.

As those fingers drifted over the keys, they slowly began to form a melody, a collection of notes that worked together beautifully. Everything in that song was so unbelievably perfect, each note in its place like planets in the sky. Bokuto couldn’t take his eyes off the keys, off the delicate fingers that pressed each one with accuracy and poise. Music drifted into the air, the sweet nuances caressed Bokuto’s cheeks and left him with an overwhelming sense of wonder and blissfulness.

Before Bokuto could fully comprehend the feeling that fluttered deep in his chest, Kuroo tapped his shoulder gently. “Bro. Bro. Hey, you’re spacing out again.”

“I… Kuroo, don’t you hear that music? It’s so beautiful!” He exclaimed excitedly, loud enough for Kuroo to hear but not loud enough to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere around them. His golden eyes sparkled in a way that enticed a raised eyebrow out of Kuroo.

“Well, yeah… I mean it’s just piano. nothing really exciting about it.” He replied. His gaze slowly followed Bokuto’s line of sight, resting on the pianist. “Oh…. Mr. Pianist is here, huh? No wonder you’re all riled up!”

“Kuroo, please.” Bokuto grumbled, his eyes flickering over to watch the pianist. His fingers drifted over the keys as graceful as ever, and Bokuto subtly thought that this pianist had more grace in one finger than Bokuto had in his entire body. Bokuto noticed that he was wearing crisp white attire, something that contrasted with the dark black of the piano. A small red bowtie rested around his neck (which Bokuto thought was actually really cute).

“Dude.” Kuroo spoke, sipping his coffee. “I’m serious when I say you should go say hi to him. You seem to like him, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you take this much interest in another person ever since you were dating that one girl.”

“What? Seriously?” Bokuto spoke, his voice lowering into a whisper-hiss. “I dunno bro, what if it ends bad? He seems, like, super mysterious. I don’t know if I can strike up a conversation with him without making a total fool of myself.”

“You always make a fool of yourself, though. That’s your charm.”

“Was that an insult?”

“Maybe.” Kuroo cleared his throat at the look Bokuto was giving him. “I don’t think it will be that bad, bro. Plus, it’ll be better than just sitting here and admiring him from far away.”

“But when will I be able to go up to him to talk? I don’t wanna interrupt him.” Bokuto whined slightly, his eyes flickering around nervously, too restless to settle on one thing for too long.

“Just wait until he takes a break or something. Or ask one of the staff when he gets off.” Kuroo shrugged.

“Hm… okay, okay.” Bokuto nodded determinedly, running a hand to spike up his hair more. “I’m gonna ask that waitress over there. Gimme a sec.”

Kuroo nodded and waved, pulling out his phone to play a game. Bokuto hopped off his seat and approached the waitress with an awkward stride. “E-Excuse me!”

“Yes?” The waitress turned around with a swish of her blonde hair. She looked younger than Bokuto, and when he looked closely, he could notice a star hairclip in her hair.

“Um. Uh. I was wondering if you’d tell me…” He bit his lip, this uncharacteristic nervousness nibbling on his thoughts. “If you’d tell me when the pianist gets off work? I kinda wanna speak to him, but I don’t want to interrupt his playing.”

“Oh! You mean Akaashi-san?” The girl asked with a tilt of her head. Akaashi. The name sounded as attractive and mysterious as the pianist looked. “He’s our pianist! I think he leaves around closing time? I don’t really know, sometimes he leaves earlier.”

“Oh. Okay.” Bokuto scratched the back of his head, not knowing exactly what to say. Nervousness creeped up his neck. What was he doing? Going to a waitress to score a date with a piano player? The waitress (Bokuto read “Yachi” on her nametag), smiled politely with a flush of her cheeks.

“Sorry, but, uh…” She fidgeted with her hands nervously, blinking. “I really have to get back to work now. Have a nice day!”

“Oh, um, thanks.” Bokuto mumbled, hobbling awkwardly back to his seat with Kuroo. When he sat down again, Kuroo looked up from his game and blinked. “So? What did she say?”

“She said he leaves around closing. Also, that was one of the most awkward conversations of my life.”

“Damn. Sorry bro, but I’m not bumming around here until closing time. Just come back another day and catch him or something.”

“Yeah, yeah, okay.” Bokuto hummed, leaning back in his chair. The music played softly in the background, something slow and calming, and it allowed Bokuto to relax a little. This was so embarrassing. He barely even knew the guy!

The rest of the day carried on slowly, the sweet sound of music drawing on quietly in the back of Bokuto’s mind. Even as they left the cafe, Bokuto couldn’t help feel like he accomplished something.

Also, a strange but familiar feeling of eyes on the back of his head.

\---

 

 

\---

“Akaashi-san!!” A voice piped up from behind the cafe’s counter, signalling for the pianist’s attention. He turned his head at the sound, his cool expression never changing.

“Yes?” He replied, tilting his body to better face Yachi, the person calling his name. She was an employee who worked at the cafe, and Akaashi had started getting to know her really well. She would always say “good morning” and “good evening” whenever Akaashi saw her, to which Akaashi replied similarly.

“There was a man asking about you today. I don’t know what he wanted, but he said he wanted to talk to you.” She spoke, wiping down the counter. “I think he is one of our regulars, actually, but he has the most unusual hair! It’s black and white and it sticks up all over the place. You know who I’m talking about, right?”

Akaashi blinked and stood up from his piano bench. It was around the time to go home, and Akaashi was feeling quite exhausted. “I think so. He has the gold eyes, right? The ones that look like an owl’s?”

“Yes! That’s exactly who I’m talking about.” She hummed, wiping her hands on her apron. “Do you know what he could have wanted?”

“No.” Akaashi replied, pulling on his coat. “But thank you for telling me. I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for him.”

“Okay. Have a nice evening, Akaashi-san!” She smiled politely, waving her farewells.

“You as well, Yachi-san. See you tomorrow.” He waved, leaving the cafe with quiet footsteps.

The nighttime air was chilly, and Akaashi silently wondered if he should have brought a scarf. The wind brushed against Akaashi’s ears and caused them to turn a bright pink, and if he looked closely, he could see his breath puffed out in the air.

He happened to like walking home at night. The streets were barren, streetlights kissing the sidewalks with their yellowish light. With barely anyone walking along the streets save for a few tired college students or the occasional businessman, Akaashi felt as though he could think freely. He could expand his personal space, he didn’t have to apologize for bumping into people. But, what Akaashi liked the most, was the peacefulness.

He enjoyed these times, walking home from the cafe, so he tried to walk as slowly as possible to relish the feeling.

The feeling always died away when he reached his apartment. Bland walls greet him when he walked inside, and the constant awareness of silence pressed into him, a reminder that he was alone.

**  
** “I’m home.”


	2. Nice to meet you, Bokuto-san

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> His gaze met with shimmering golden eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey hey hey, it's been a while! Sorry this took so long to post, first my computer broke and then I went through an awful writer's block. So I'm really really sorry this took so long!! 
> 
> As an apology, this chapter is longer!! (only by a couple hundred words though).
> 
> I'm also looking for a beta reader!! read the notes at the end for more.

Today was his birthday.

The night sky reminded Akaashi of smoke.  Its dark and inky color seeped into his bones, leaving him with a permanent chill that crawled over his back and eventually settled on his shoulders.  The peaceful night air, although chilly, filled his empty lungs with stagnant life and crispness. It anchored him, in a sense; leaving his vision alert and his senses heightened.  He loved the feeling it gave him.

Akaashi slowly walked towards his local convenience store.  The night sky was starless, and he found himself straining to peer through the light pollution and layers of clouds to gaze at the galaxy.

Of course, his efforts were fruitless; there was no amount of eye straining that could penetrate the cloudy haze above his head.

His mind drifted to simpler times as he walked along; thoughts of childhood and late summer nights staring up at the stars with nobody but fireflies to keep his company. He wistfully reimagined the smiles the kids at school gave him, the gray color of the school's sidewalks much like the one he was currently walking on. He remembered the cool touch of piano keys while alone in the dark, as well as the way the music remained as static in the air.

He recalled the way he was handed a box of cupcakes every December with nothing but a stiff smile and a “Happy Birthday, Keiji.”

Snowflakes gently fell to the ground back in reality, and Akaashi never noticed until a couple tickled his nose. He continued his journey to the convenience store.  The wind started to pick up and uncomfortably sprayed snowflakes across his cheeks, to which Akaashi squinted and picked up his pace.

It didn't take long for him to reach the store.  It was a shabby old place, with letters in the sign that didn't light up any more and crumbling brick exterior. The lights on the inside were an uncomfortable shade of yellowish white that hurt Akaashi’s eyes.  A throbbing neon sign flashed annoyingly, reading “OPEN 24 HOURS”.

Akaashi checked the time on his watch. 11:13pm.

Without hesitating much more, Akaashi pushed open the convenience store doors and sent a small yet empty smile to the poor soul manning the cash register.  By the looks of it, a college student. He looked tired.

Akaashi blinked when the clerk never returned the gesture. The pianist proceeded into the store.  His eyes scanned the shelves calculatingly over every object.

If he was completely honest, Akaashi never really enjoyed shopping, let alone in the middle of the night and at a shady convenience store in a gross part of town. But his schedule was tight,  and he preferred to shop when nobody was around, anyways.

His gaze lingered on a small box of pre-packaged cupcakes. They reminded him of when he was young and curious. They reminded him of the times when he did well in his piano recitals as a child. They reminded him of his mother, who was too busy with work to actually bake cupcakes, so she bought them instead. Akaashi let out a soft sigh and reached for the box on the shelf.

That is, he did reach for the box, but a hand shot out in front of him and snatched it instead.

Akaashi really did not want to deal with people right now, so instead of saying anything, he just turned and rested his tired eyes on the other person.

His gaze met with shimmering golden eyes.

The stranger stared at him for minute, blinking his owl eyes (Akaashi couldn't help but feel as though they were oddly fitting for his appearance), until he gasped.

“OH MY GOD I DIDN’T MEAN TO TAKE THESE FROM YOU--” He thrusted the cupcakes into Akaashi’s hands, leaving Akaashi startled and staring down at the box of sugary treats.

Then, something clicked in the back of his mind.  Gold eyes, unusual hair….

“Oh!” He looked back up at the other, eyes slowly studying him. His voice remained soft in order not to disturb the peaceful atmosphere of the convenience store. “I think I know you. You frequent the cafe, don't you?” Akaashi asked quietly, holding his cupcakes with both hands.

The other stared at him for a moment, slightly pinkened cheeks enhanced under the harsh lighting. His voice grew sheepish. “Oh, yeah, uh…  hi.”

His sudden sheepishness confused Akaashi, though his expression remained neutral. “I'm Akaashi Keiji, nice to meet you. I play the piano at the local cafe. ” Akaashi began, trying to start a conversation despite the fact that sleep and exhaustion nipped at the corner of his eyes.  He wasn't the best in social situations like this, so his voice came out slightly choppy.

“I know!” Bokuto began, earning a raise of the eyebrow from Akaashi.  “I mean, uh. I'm a big fan. I really like your music. And I'm Bokuto Kotarou, by the way.”

Oh. That was something Akaashi wasn't expecting. He never really pondered on the fact that he could have fans, after all, he was just a small-time musician who only played locally and posted the occasional video on the internet. The compliment left a rosy feeling somewhere in his chest. “Nice to meet you, Bokuto-san.”

“Yeah, it's nice to meet you too!” Bokuto beamed, giving a smile that took Akaashi off guard. “But I have to ask you, Akaashi, why you're out in the middle of the night buying only cupcakes.”

“Ah…” Akaashi looked at the box of cupcakes in his hands, his eyes widening in a cross between mild embarrassment and anxiety. “Well... I could ask the same thing of you, Bokuto-san.”

“I'm a college student. I was just out to buy a midnight snack while I binge-write this essay that's due tomorrow.” He replied easily.

Akaashi scrunched his eyebrows, feeling an emotion he couldn't quite describe.  “Oh… I see.” He paused, then redirected his gaze back up to golden eyes before continuing. “Ah... Today was my birthday, and I just thought I'd celebrate with some snacks--”

“Today is your birthday?!” Bokuto interrupted, taking a step dangerously close to Akaashi’s personal space, to which Akaashi stepped back for good measure.

“Yes. It is. ” He mumbled, clutching the box closer to his chest.  Perhaps letting that little fact go was a bad idea. He didn't think birthdays were all that exciting, but apparently they meant more to Bokuto than Akaashi originally thought.

“Dude! Happy birthday!” Bokuto beamed again,  his eyes alight with twinkling stars. In that brief moment, Akaashi could feel something prickling against his chest; something that he knew was distantly familiar. What it was, he couldn't tell.

Now confused with the sudden onslaught of emotions, Akaashi spoke abruptly. “Thanks. Um, I have to leave.” He sent a look to the check-out counter. Social interaction wasn't exactly his forte, and even then, he never planned on running into a certain owl-haired person in the middle of the night.

Bokuto’s shoulders visibly deflated at that, though he kept a smile on his face. Akaashi dimly noted that Bokuto wore his heart on his sleeve. “Oh, yeah, sorry!” The owl-haired man replied, “I didn't mean to keep you. Have fun celebrating your birthday, er, whatever’s left of it.”

“Thank you, Bokuto-san.” He mumbled and sent a little goodbye wave to the other. That seemed to brighten Bokuto’s expression before he disappeared into another aisle.

Akaashi quickly paid for his cupcakes and left the store, the dim lights flickering as he closed the door behind him. He noticed that something in the air changed around him, but he couldn't exactly explain what it was. Perhaps it was warmer out?

The chilly air once again tickled his face,  disproving his thoughts; snowflakes dancing across his vision in a tango with winter’s embrace. He let out a small huff, taking the long way back to his apartment.

When he looked up towards the sky, he could have sworn to see the constellation Orion.

 

\---

 

 

\---

 

“You _talked_ to him?!“ Kuroo exclaimed, sitting on Bokuto’s fluffy, old sofa. He held a bag of chips in his lap, holding a cup of hot chocolate in one hand. The hot drink swished dangerously as Kuroo sat up in surprise.

“Yeah man! He's so nice in person, dude.“ Bokuto sighed dramatically,  lounging on the sofa next to Kuroo.

“Ohoho? What did he say to you?”

“Nothing really. He just introduced himself. Also today was his birthday so he was out buying himself some cupcakes.”

“Bokuto,” Kuroo slowly began, taking a sip of his mug and eyeing Bokuto through sharp eyes. Something  about those eyes always unnerved Bokuto, though he was too distracted to notice. “Did you make a fool of yourself? You probably did.”

“Have some faith in me, Kuroo. I don't think it was that bad.” Bokuto sighed again, this time more exasperated. “I feel like I'm in middle school again! I don't think I've ever been this nervous around another person before. I really want to get to know him. Am I overthinking this? Is he just so amazing that my mind can't handle it?”

“Yes. You are. Akaashi is just a normal human, not some godly being that your mind is making him out to be.” Kuroo said blankly. “Sure, he can play the piano. But I don't think you should treat him any differently than you would someone else. He's just a human.” Kuroo paused to take a sip of his hot chocolate. “You can try being friends first.”

Bokuto paused for a second to recollect his senses. Okay, he was overreacting. Yes, he was acting as if Akaashi was some sort of holt being. Maybe he should take a step back and reevaluate everything.

“You’re right, bro. Akaashi is super nice and I think I'll start trying to be friends with him.” Bokuto admitted, staring at the ceiling. He noticed how the light from the window and the streetlights below casted an unusual pattern of illumination around him. The golden color reminded him of his fantasy world, with streaming sunlight through tree leaves and the steady string of piano music resonating throughout Bokuto’s core.

“Oh, by the way.” Kuroo snapped Bokuto out of his fantasy by changing the subject off of Akaashi. “Have you talked to your mom lately? She's been calling me and asking about you. She says you won't pick up her calls.”

At the sudden topic change, Bokuto shivered. There was a reason why Bokuto chose to avoid his family, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to bring up the subject with Kuroo, even if Kuroo was his #1 bro.

“Ah… I'll call her soon.” His voice managed to croak out,  though he quickly covered it with a cough.

Kuroo rose an eyebrow. “You don't like your family very much, hm?” He mumbled, though his voice didn't exactly sound like a question.

Bokuto didn't continue the conversation any further, and the two friends merely sat together in a pleasant silence, complete with the flickering light of the window.

 

\---

 

Akaashi distantly remembered that he hated the taste of convenience store brand cupcakes.

 

\---

 

The early morning sunlight streamed through Bokuto's window, leaving a pattern of swirling salmons and dancing ballet slippers across the hardwood floors in his living room. He admired them distantly, and he quickly blinked at the ceiling to remove all traces of sleep from his eyes.

Another all-nighter, but his essay was complete. At least he was able to take a 30-minute power nap somewhere between his fifth and sixth pages. He distantly pondered that he was more of a night owl anyways, then chuckled at his own thoughts.

He rose to his feet just in time to see the sun fully emerge itself from the horizon line. It was welcoming, optimistic, and promised a bright future. Bokuto liked the sun.

Quickly hopping up and down to get his blood circulating after remaining still for so long, he made his way into the bathroom to start his morning routine. The reflection in the mirror frightened him; the bags under his eyes more prominent than he remembered. They didn't compliment his eyes. He felt incredibly tired and all he wanted to do was roll into bed, though he forced his eyes to stay bright and sanguine for the day to come. After all, he did have a class at 8, and he wanted to get in a good jog before he had to do anything.

A few minutes later, he found himself pulling on jogging shoes and a hair band, then heading out his door.

He always found solace in exercise; knowing that he could get stronger slow and steadily, with his feet thumping against the pavement and his mind filled with daydreaming he never had time for during the day. Chilly air smoothed itself over his skin, nipping at it until he couldn't feel his fingers. He loved how he could run to anywhere where his heart desired. It was freeing.

He thought of many things when he jogged, like how the birds still managed to sing on the early winter mornings or the way he could see the lightest dustings of snow which remained from the previous night. Bokuto thrived while he exercised.

Of course, being a college student left little time for these early morning jogs, though he made sure to get in as much exercise as possible in order to stay fit.

As Bokuto was about to round a corner, sweat dripping from his temple and breaths coming fogging up the air around him, he took a moment to take in his surroundings. Birds chirping, golden winter sun, crisp air, piano music…

Piano music?

Soft sounds floated through the air, eventually tickling Bokuto’s ears. The sounds were quiet enough not to disturb others, and it was almost as though the music was silent except for those who were listening.

It wasn't uncommon to hear music throughout the city, though there was something unique about this piano that made his stomach flip and his chest heave. Halting completely in his tracks, Bokuto strained his ears to listen to his surroundings even closer than before. His breaths came out quickly, and as he listened, he could hear piano music faintly.

The thing that struck Bokuto the most, was that this music was familiar-- it reminded him of the same song that he first heard Akaashi play back in the cafe.

This song, even though the notes were very similar, sounded _sad_.

Bokuto looked around to find the source of the music, his head whipping around comically until his golden eyes landed on the source: an open window across the street on the second floor of a crumbly brick apartment building. He squinted a little, barely able to make out the figure of hunched shoulders and curly dark hair.  

A multitude of thoughts swirled through his mind all at once, jumbling together, which included:

  1. Akaashi is playing the piano.
  2. Why is his window open? It's fucking cold out, he's gonna get sick.
  3. He sounds sad.
  4. _Akaashi is playing the piano_.



So, with eyes alight, Bokuto bounded to the other side of the road in large strides. He looked up into the window, and noticed the familiar features of Akaashi; curly hair, pale skin, forest green eyes and the movements of his hands as they tapped on the keys.

Without much thinking, Bokuto sucked in a breath and let out a loud “AKAASHI!”

The music faltered, a loud clashing of surprised keys that made Bokuto jump. Soon enough, Akaashi’s face popped out of the window, looking down on the street to find the source of his disruption.

“What? Bokuto-san?” His voice was loud enough for Bokuto to hear (and totally did _not_ give him goosebumps).

Bokuto swallowed a lump. “Uh…  You should really close your window! It's kinda chilly out and you might get sick!” His voice cracked halfway through and he really hoped Akaashi didn't notice.

Akaashi let out a snort, and Bokuto could see the faint outlines of a smile (which, of course, totally did _not_ make his heart swell).

“Okay, Bokuto-san. You better go home before you get sick yourself.” The pianist spoke before shutting the window, ending the conversation and leaving Bokuto with golden butterflies in his stomach.

Bokuto chuckled softly at himself, turning to continue his jog down the road.

Akaashi Keiji was a mystery, and Bokuto felt like a detective.

 

\---

 

The overwhelming feeling that Akaashi felt sitting at his piano, limbs laying limp at his sides and morning sunlight streaming through his window, was completely foreign to him.

Of course, he felt his fair share of foreign feelings before, though none ever felt so unusual and unique as this. Bokuto, looking like a complete idiot with his owl hair in a headband, had completely barged into his morning with a loud voice and gleaming golden eyes.

Akaashi leaned back in his chair and observed the sunlight through the window. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he faintly realized that the warm sun resembled those bright golden eyes. He let out a sigh and smiled softly to himself.

Of course, he only had his window open because it was a little stuffy in his apartment, and he really enjoyed the feeling of cool air against his skin as he played in the morning. Now that he thought about it, it was getting a little colder out lately…

This was the first time in a while that he could genuinely feel like he was cared for, like he wasn't alone, even for only a few brief moments. It made his eyes flutter shut and his hands tingle.

This foreign feeling, Akaashi deemed, was one of warmth, and he embraced it wholeheartedly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading, commenting, and giving kudos! It means a lot to me!! ❤❤❤
> 
> I'm also looking for a beta reader!! pretty much someone to look this over for mistakes and to give me lots of advice plot-wise. Contact me via [tumblr](fake-plant.tumblr.com) if you're interested!!

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading!! if you have an idea for this fic, you can find me at [fake-plant](http://www.fake-plant.tumblr.com/) !!


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